Tony Stewart can maneuver an eclectic variety of vehicles. Be it stock cars, open-wheel cars, midget cars, or IndyCars, ‘Smoke’s versatility knows no bounds. Moreover, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion can also pilot an aeroplane. The aviation fan owns a Citation CJ4 from Cessna. It is a twin-engined beauty with a range of 2000 nautical miles and is a perfect choice for private and corporate use. But Stewart recently used it for something you will never be able to guess.
NASCAR drivers have a wide range of pets who brighten up their homes. From Shane van Gisbergen’s 130-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback to AJ Allmendinger’s cat named Mr. Tickles, animal love is profound in the sport. It is the same for Tony Stewart, and he helped spread it to other souls.
Tony Stewart helps out a canine cutie
The motorsports legend is well-connected with the pet world himself. Until 2023, Tony Stewart owned an adorable pig named ‘Porkchop’. However, the farm animal clashed with his furry pets, Max and Mia. Eventually, Stewart had to relocate Porkchop to a different location. Currently, Stewart also takes care of the dog of his wife, 12-time NHRA winner Leah Pruett. It is a gorgeous Australian Shepherd named Cash. Having had so much experience with loving and nurturing dogs, Stewart decided to help another canine cutie find love as well. For that purpose, Stewart used his aviation beauty, the Citation CJ4 from Cessna. The $10 million cost of this plane was nothing for him when it meant spreading more furry love.
Recently, Tony Stewart piloted his private jet to do a noble deed in the animal community. He and his wife used it to transport a disabled dog named Harley. Mark J. Rebilas, a sports photographer and storm chaser based in Phoenix, was fostering her and needed help finding her forever home. After finally finding a family for her 1700 miles away in Indiana, Stewart and his wife stepped in to finish the job. Rebilas hailed Stewart’s efforts on X: “HUGE thanks to @TonyStewart and @LeahPruett_TF for helping my wife and I transport a two legged dog Harley that we’ve fostered for the last five months in Arizona to her forever home in Indiana. Now I owe Tony a tornado chase trip soon! ”
You’ve been great foster parents, @rebilasphoto. We’re so happy Harley found her forever home! 🩷 https://t.co/IywDSYDYqQ
— Tony Stewart Racing Nitro (@TSRnitro) May 15, 2025
Tony Stewart Racing Nitro reshared this post on its official X account. “The caption read, You’ve been great foster parents, @rebilasphoto. We’re so happy Harley found her forever home! 🩷” Stewart has been on a roll since last year, achieving significant milestones. Leah Pruett gave birth to their son, Dominic James Stewart, last November. Then, just a month ago, Stewart clinched his first-ever NHRA Top Fuel victory at the Strip in Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He defeated 2024 Top Fuel champion Antron Brown as well as Justin Ashley and Jasmine Salinas with a final-round pass clocked in at 3.870 seconds and 317.42 mph.
Clearly, Tony Stewart is in a vibrant phase and is helping spread that positivity with noble deeds. The former NASCAR driver/team owner is not alone in his furry friend pursuits, though.
Animal lovers in the garage
“Can I bring my dog?” This was the only query that Shane Van Gisbergen had when he got an offer to move from Australian Supercars to NASCAR two years ago. Ronald, his Rhodesian Ridgeback dog, is 5 pounds heavier than 2024 regular season champion Tyler Reddick, and SVG was not going to leave without him. As it turned out, the NASCAR community was more than welcoming to Ronald. Alex Bowman, a Hendrick Motorsports driver, owns three dogs along with his girlfriend Chloe Henderson, who is a self-proclaimed dog mom. What is more, Bowman has donated more than $750,000 over the past four years to animal welfare efforts through partnerships with Ally Racing and Best Friends Animal Society. His Phoenix paint scheme this year featured more than a dozen rescued dogs.
SVG’s Trackhouse Racing teammate, Daniel Suarez, is also a big-time dog-lover. He takes Emma, a four-pound black-and-white Pomeranian, and Pepper, an 11-pound Manx cat, to about half his races each season. The Mexican speedster’s parents routinely collected abandoned dogs from the streets of Monterrey, Mexico. Suarez also supports animal-rescue groups such a PETA and the Humane Society of Charlotte, N.C., where he lives. He emphasized the love for canines: “The beautiful part about animals is that it doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the day you just had. They’re always there to give you a lot. We’re really lucky to have animals in our lives.”
Evidently, Tony Stewart is not alone in the NASCAR community with a deep love for dogs. His noble efforts would encourage other people to help furry friends in need.
The post Tony Stewart Uses His Nearly $10 Million Private Jet to Aid Disabled Furry Friend Over 1700 Miles appeared first on EssentiallySports.
